5 things to consider when implementing an order & inventory management system

As a business dealing with inventory, it’s probable you have thought about introducing an order management system. The benefits are numerous, and it’s likely to be a big step in improving the overall productivity of your business. However, when it comes to actually implementing the right system, there are several factors to consider.

For many businesses, the process of choosing a system which matches your needs can be daunting, but keeping a checklist of important factors in mind can make things a little easier.

Here are the top 5 factors to consider when implementing an order management system:

  1. What your business needs

The most important first step to finding the right system for your business is to first establish what your requirements are. Are you looking for an order management system to help track your inventory more efficiently? Perhaps you specifically need a system which can log all your incoming orders accurately. To find a system that meets your needs, first identify what are the pain points you are trying to resolve.

  1. Your budget

A factor which will significantly impact what type of system you end up with is cost. Different order and inventory management systems will offer different benefits, and some more customisable than others. For example, an off-the-shelf order management app offers little personalisation to your business needs, but it’s likely to be a lot cheaper. On the other hand, a fully customisable software which is tailored to your needs might take you in the region of tens of thousands.

  1. Potential for customisation

It impacts how much your service will cost, as well as how it operates for your business. To what extent do you need your software to be adaptable to your needs? Perhaps an off-the-shelf option will do, or maybe a custom-made software is the right fit. Workhorse offer a hybrid, customisable software which provides your business with the inventory management essentials. With the help of our team, you can build your software to keep up with (and keep boosting) your business growth.

  1. Ease of Systems Integration

Some order management systems can seem daunting when it comes to building them into your processes, transferring data and moving your various systems into one place. Assuming you don’t want to waste precious time and energy, you need to find a system which will make this process easy and painless by integrating your systems as effortlessly as possible.

  1. Support from vendor

Finally, once your system is in place, you’ll want the peace of mind that support is there, should you need it. An off-the-shelf software might be all well and good until you are simply left to get on with it. Whether you need help understanding an element of your new system or help adapting it as your business grows, having a team to support you goes a long way.

In order to reap the rewards of a great order management system, it’s important to consider the key factors which could affect how it performs for your business. To learn more about how Workhorse offer a cloud-based system which offers not just SaaS, but software with a service, download our latest eBook by clicking here.